Is transportation a barrier to care for your patients?

Health begins where we live, work and play. The beauty of our region of North Carolina comes at the cost of limited public transportation options for people to access services they need to be healthy. In some localities, nearly half of households do not have access to a vehicle. Learn from community-based organizations how they work to help meet this need, and how the NCCARE360 referral platform ties in.

Please join us for the fifth webinar in our NCCARE360 series. Learn how to incorporate the NCCARE360 platform into your practice. With the NCCARE360 network you can connect your patients and their families with human services organizations and other community resources across the state. NCCARE360 is available in all 100 counties across North Carolina. 

Northwest AHEC invites you to participate in this and upcoming webinars to learn more about this initiative and get involved in making sure our community is connected. Following the webinar, a link for the recorded session will be available so be sure to check back!

The 2021 QPP Final Rule is now available.  For updates and key policy changes take a look at the 2021 Quality Payment Program Final Rule Overview Fact Sheet and other Final Rule resources found here.   

North Carolina has a plan for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Join us on Tuesday, December 15th at 6 p.m. for the next event in the Navigating COVID-19 Webinar Series to learn more from State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Betsey Tilson and other experts from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

NC Medicaid COVID-19 Related Services for Uninsured Individuals 

It’s that time again. The deadline for reporting your PY2020 MIPS data is just around the corner. You will need to submit your MIPS data by March 31st, 2021.   

Galen Connections

For those practices that are connected to NC HealthConnex through Galen, you should have received an email on November 9th, 2020 regarding your new HIE connection options. NC HealthConnex is transitioning practices off of Galen connections. Please respond via email at NCHealthConnex@sas.com with your preferred connection choice by January 1st, 2021.

Dear NC HealthConnex Participant,

We hope this message finds you and your staff staying well during this difficult time. We are contacting you because our records indicate you are connected to NC HealthConnex via the Galen solution…..

Please update NCHealthConnex@sas.com with your preferred connection choice by January 1, 2021.

Medicaid Managed Care Fireside Chat Webinar Series 

EVERY FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH FROM 5:30 TO 6:30 P.M. 

Register for Medicaid Managed Care topics 

Hosted by Shannon Dowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NC Division of Health Benefits. 

Moderated by Hugh Tilson, Director, NC AHEC Program. 

We gather on this day to be thankful for what we have, for the family we love, the friends we cherish, and for the blessings that will come. Happy Thanksgiving!

In between your holiday feasting we invite you to check out these updates, as we find helpful resources we will post them here weekly:

Welcome to the Best Practices in Opioids Prescribing and Management Webinars

We invite you to learn more about the lectures available for viewing and select what interests you, choose any or all 10. These pre-recorded lectures are all online via your computer or mobile device at your own pace. Prescribers will find modules that address content required by their individual boards for opioid-focused continuing education and other modules that highlight vulnerable and special populations like adolescents, geriatrics, those in hospice, pregnant women and those affected by homelessness. This activity is targeted to those interested in best practices for opioid prescribing and management and opioid use disorder, including physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, behavioral health and addiction medicine specialists, and social service professionals.

AHEC has provided support to produce these modules and offer them at a reduced registration fee of just $10 per session ($100 for all 10 sessions).

To learn more about each session or to register for individual lectures – CLICK HERE:

1. Opioids and Opioid Use Disorders: Where Are We Now
2. Balancing an Epidemic of Opioid Misuse and Abuse with the Ethical Duty to Treat Pain
3. Opioid Use Disorder: Signs and Symptoms, Levels of Care, Referral
   Sources and Assessment Tools
4. Vulnerable Populations and Opioid Prescribing and Management - Hospice
5. Opioids and Opioid Use Disorder in Youth (under 21)
6. Non-Pharmacologic Integrative Medicine Approaches for Managing Pain
7. Substance Use Disorder Treatment in the Age of Social Distancing
8. Substance Use Disorder: Treating Homelessness and Special Populations
9. Pearls of Wisdom and Lines in the Sand: Scope and Management of
   Opioid Use During Pregnancy
10. Vulnerable Populations and Opioid Prescribing and Management: Geriatrics

View credit information and more details on our website!

We invite you to check out these other updates for the week, as we find helpful resources we will share them here weekly: